Rewriting the rule book for textiles and corrogates

Xaar’s Ultra High Viscosity Technology allows you to reliably print fluids around 100 centipoises (cP) at jetting temperature, (approx. 1000cP at ambient temperature) which is well beyond average jetting capabilities of 10-12cP. 

What does this mean in practice?

Thanks to this capability, with Xaar’s printheads you can

• Achieve the same colour density as a standard print with half the amount of ink
• Halve the cost of ink per product and double productivity
• Significantly reduce energy used
• Jetting UV fluids at room temperature now possible, no need to heat to 45 degrees as before
• High Viscosity aqueous fluids means less water, less drying time and therefore less energy used
• Build machines more cost effectively
  • Dryers don’t need to be so large, no need to pin between prints
• Improve print quality and make use of an extended colour gamut
  • By enabling an extended colour gamut and fluids with larger particles and more pigment, colours are more vibrant and whites and blacks stronger.
  • Reduced spreading for better edge definition on non-porous substrates including corrugates and uncoated board
• Create shelf appeal on rigid and flexible product packaging with high-build varnish embellishments, adding texture, visual impact, and functionality (such as ink that resists cracking on flexible surfaces).
• Printing a wider range of very viscous functional fluids such as paint, adhesives and solder masks
• Digitally print braille

Ultra High Viscosity technology is available across many of Xaar’s printheads including the Xaar Nitrox, the Xaar 50x series, and Xaar 2002.

Develop fluids for added value functionality

Fluid manufacturers now have much more freedom to develop fluids which provide useful functionality.

For example, Ultra High Viscosity Technology enables printing of higher molecular weight photopolymers which in turn means that printed materials can be produced with increased toughness and flexibility, useful in Advanced Manufacturing and 3D printing

Verified by independent research:

Using the Xaar Aquinox printhead and cyan water-based inks by Nazdar, The Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating, Swansea University team showed several advantages to printing high viscosity aqueous fluids, which is enabled by Xaar’s Ultra High Viscosity Technology. Measured colour densities were seen to be up to 60 percent higher, enabling productivity gains and an enhanced gamut by jetting the higher viscosity ink.

• High viscosity water-based fluids soaks much less into porous media (eg corrugate)
• Therefore priming becomes irrelevant, migration is reduced and less pigment is wasted through soaking into the non-coated paper